No one wants to look old
but that fight with father time is always a loss for his opponents.
However, some people can mask that battle with the help of some skin
care products. The trick is to find skin care products that will
actually work, which is the main problem as so many products hit the
market while only a few of them that ever works. One vitamin that has
proven to be quite beneficial for people's skin in topical form is
niacinamide. There are plenty of niacinamide skin care benefits and
this article will discuss some of them.

Acne is something that many
people suffer from and it's one of the hardest skin issues to fight
against, however one of the most beneficial niacinamide skin care
benefits is its ability to fight acne. A study at the New York
university College of Medicine showed that 82% of
patients with acne who were treated with 4% niacinamide cream had their
acne clear over the 8 week test. What makes that number even better is
that there were no side effects experienced by anyone who tried it.
That being said, it's safe and effective for those who are battling
with acne. Niacinamide's main action on treating acne is
anti-inflammatory. This anti-inflammatory action reduces redness,
irritation, and dryness caused by the bacteria that live in pimples or
clogged pores. Niacinamide is able to reduce the amount of oil or sebum
that the glands secrete. The reduction in the amount of oil that the
glands pump out reduces blackheads and whiteheads from forming because
of clogged pores. Niacinamide also instigates mild shedding of the skin
that prevents pores from blocking, because of its mild keratolytic
actions. And not only does niacinamide cream get rid of acne, it fades acne scars as well. Acnessential
is a popular bestselling brand of 4%
niacinamide cream for treating acne and fading old acne scars. It is
also used for treating rosacea, fine lines and wrinkles,
hyperpigmentation, skin lightening and whitening, and as a moisturizing
anti-aging cream.

A skin condition known as
rosacea has plenty of terrible symptoms, such as skin redness, skin
irritability, inflammation of the skin and sensitive skin as well.
There aren't too many products out there proven to battle this skin
problem, however, it just so happens to be one of the main niacinamide
skin care benefits. A recent study shows that the vitamin was able to
help most rosacea patients that were a part of the study. The study is
still in its early stages, however, the signs look great so far.

Another one of the
main niacinamide skin cream benefits is the fact that it can help people
rejuvenate their skin, which is what so many people are looking for
these days. Niacinamide also acts as a moisturizer by preventing water
loss and keeping the skin hydrated. Studies have proven that
niacinamide has helped keep skin hydrated, reduce wrinkles and lines,
and keep the skin from aging. It's basically the ultimate skin care
ingredient for those who want to keep looking younger. In the
end, niacinamide sure does have a lot of benefits for those with skin
problems and one can't go wrong as side effects are not prevalent.

Not only does the niacinamide skin cream have anti-aging, rejuvenating effects,
because of hydration, it also fades age spots and lightens and whitens
the skin because of its ability to treat hyperpigmentation. It
reduces yellowing, wrinkling, and red blotchiness.

Here are some
references to published scientific studies that have been performed on
topical niacinamide and its effects on the skin...

==>Topical niacinamide increases free fatty acid and ceramide levels in the skin, stimulates micro-circulation in the dermis, and prevents the skin from losing
water.
( Source: British Journal of Dermatology, September 2000, pages
524-531; and Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, April 2004, page 88)

==> In a small study, 2%
topical niacinamide shown to be more effective than
Vaseline (petrolatum) for reducing skin water loss and increasing
its hydration levels.
( Source: International Journal of Dermatology, March 2005, pages
197-202)

==> Fifty
subjects used 2% niacinamide moisturizer on the face for four weeks
and fifty subjects used a placebo moisturizer for four weeks, with SER (sebum
excretion rate) measurements taken at the baseline, weeks two, and weeks
four. Additionally, thirty Caucasian test subjects undertook a randomized
split-face study for six weeks with SER and CSL (casual sebum levels)
measured at the baseline, weeks three, and weeks six. The results of the
Japanese study showed that the SER of the two groups was not
significantly different at baseline, but the 2% niacinamide test
group showed significantly lowered SER after two and four weeks of
use. Results for the Caucasian study were somewhat different. After six weeks of treatment, the CSL was reduced significantly,
but the SER was not reduced significantly. The conclusions for the study were : 2%
niacinamide topically applied may be effective in lowering the SER in Japanese
individuals and CSL in Caucasian individuals.
( Source: Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, Volume 8, Number 2,
June 2006 , pp. 96-101(6) The effect of 2% niacinamide on facial sebum
production,Authors: Draelos, Zoe Diana1; Matsubara, Akira2; Smiles,
Kenneth3)

==> 4% nicotinamide (niacinamide) gel is comparable in efficacy to 1%
clindamycin gel (leading topical prescription med for treating acne) in the treatment of acne vulgaris. Because topical
clindamycin is associated with the emergence of
resistant microorganisms (like other antimicrobials), nicotinamide (niacinamide) gel is desirable as an alternative
treatment for acne vulgaris.
( Source: Shalita AR, Smith JG, Parish LC, Sofman MS, Chalker
DK.Department of Dermatology, State University of New York, College of
Medicine, Brooklyn, USA.)

==> Application of topical niacinamide has a stabilizing effect on epidermal
barrier function, seen as an improvement in the moisture content of the horny layer, and a reduction in transepidermal water loss. Niacinamide
has a
stimulating effect on ceramide synthesis, leads to an increase in protein synthesis (e.g. keratin), raises intracellular NADP levels, and speeds up the differentiation
of keratinocytes. Topical application of niacinamide in ageing skin smoothes out wrinkles, improves the surface structure, and inhibits photocarcinogenesis.
( Source: W Gehring (2004) Nicotinic acid/niacinamide and the skin
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 3 (2), 88–93. )